For a moment, my mind flooded with wild possibilities. Could the Iron-Blooded Lord have infiltrated the match by disguising as Heero to fight me? The idea sounded crazy, but my encounters with the Iron-Blooded Lord rarely occurred under ordinary circumstances.
After giving it some thought, I dismissed the notion. After all, this was such a public setting, with dozens, if not hundreds, of heroes watching. Participating in a promotion match while disguised as another hero, even his own son, was too risky.
If exposed, the consequences would extend beyond damaged reputation. Such an act would violate the rules and invite punishment from the Hero Society. Even without penalties, the accusation alone would bring deep humiliation to the Iron-Blooded Lord. In short, the person before me truly was Heero.
Then why did I sense the Iron-Blooded Lord in his gaze? The explanation could be surprisingly simple, such as that Heero had changed.
"Alchemist Marian. Come forward," the announcer called out.
A hiss cut through the air as the golem standing to my right released a plume of steam and clattered toward the stage. The reactions of those around me made it clear that no one intended to repair the stage or change the location. The match would continue on the damaged stage.
It was the turn of the woman I had taken for a scholar throughout the promotion test. In truth, she was an alchemist, and the golem would fight in her place. Of course, she wasn't riding it. She had just sent the golem she had created to fight in her stead. Since the evaluation focused on combat power, this approach was permitted. After all, alchemists typically fought through golems.
The woman named Marian appeared to be exceptionally talented, a genius even in Ulkah, a city renowned as the Holy Land of Alchemy.
Naturally, her golem looked sophisticated, but to put it bluntly, it didn't impress me. My standards for puppets and mechanical creatures were already high.
The level of Senior Brother Arang's skills was beyond this world. There was also Dean Alderson, the Purple Archmage. His mastery of alchemy left him without competitors, and his armored soldiers were ridiculously advanced in appearance, combat power, and functionality. Of course, Alderson and Senior Brother Arang were extreme outliers, so this golem wasn't very bad.
I turned my gaze toward the stage. After watching the previous two battles, I had learned one thing. The difference in power between A-class and the lower ranks was huge. It was fair to say that victory was nearly impossible.
That meant the key to creating an opportunity to win lay in the first attack. The opponent would defend and evade but wouldn't actively counterattack. The outcome depended on the participant's choice. This was also the difference between Baron and Lorcan. Baron hadn't charged in recklessly, but Lorcan's strategy in destroying the stage had been much more effective.
How does the golem intend to take the initiative?
"Oh my," I murmured, unable to hide my admiration.
The golem slowly raised its arm toward the sky. In that instant, its mechanisms roared to life, and its body expanded to five times its original size. Before long, its right arm transformed into a large double-edged axe, flames spilling down from its shoulders and engulfing the blade.
The female hero, who had looked dazed until then, finally shifted her gaze forward. On closer inspection, she wasn't lost in thought. She just looked sleepy.
From what I gathered from the murmurs around me, her nickname was Owl.
Come to think of it, owls are nocturnal.
Owl reached out toward the descending axe blade. Her hand looked strange, with four fingers and unusually sharp nails. The shape resembled the talons of a bird of prey.
With a casual flick of her claws, she knocked aside the axe that was twice her size. A second swipe followed, ripping off the golem's steel skin.
The entire exchange lasted about three seconds. This was the shortest match of the promotion trial so far.
Owl defeated the opponent in an instant and yawned loudly.
I muttered, "Is she the contractor of a divine beast?"
"Yeah, I guess so," Verita replied.
She had been praying with her eyes shut the entire time, claiming that she had something to say to her God. On the day of the promotion match, she even prayed in front of the stage. It was hard to tell whether she possessed remarkable composure or was simply eccentric.
I looked back at Owl. Among all the contractors I had seen so far, her level of proficiency was overwhelming. It far surpassed Arjan's.
"Adaptation, Borrowing Power, Ascension, and Unity. Those are the stages of a divine beast contract..."
I remembered Lise Ladygoth's words when she explained the contract. It was just a feeling, but I wondered whether this woman was a contractor who had reached the Unity stage.
Soon, the fragments of the broken golem were removed, and the next name was called. "Mage Coralis. Step onto the stage."
The atmosphere in the hall changed at once.
"Coralis..." someone murmured in awe.
"So it's finally the future Archmage's turn," another spectator said.
"The one who will succeed the Purple Seat?" a voice asked. "Then she must use alchemy as well."
"Who knows?" someone else replied. "She's said to be a disciple of the Blue Archmage, so she might specialize in defensive magic."
I had the distinct impression that half the heroes here watching had come specifically to see Coralis fight. At the very least, the mood was different from the previous match.
Is she really the future Archmage of the Seven Colors? This kid? I looked at the back of the petite mage, though she was not quite as small as Mir.
After meeting several Archmages, this one still struck me as immature. There was no need to mention Assad, the guardian of the Badnikers. Alderson had stood his ground against a demon king and was on a different level from an ordinary mage.
I knew better than to judge people by their appearance, but I still found it hard to believe that this little kid beside me stood on equal footing with those monsters.
Coralis walked past me. Her face looked doll-like, but her expression was not indifferent. I sensed tension beneath the surface, a difference so subtle that I only noticed because I was standing close to her.
Don't tell me, she... The thought trailed off as Coralis stepped onto the stage. I stopped speculating and paid attention. What would the future Archmage's first move be?
Her eyes shone beneath the brim of her hat. The moment she tilted the staff in her hand, mana surged around her.
Fluctuating mana was a harbinger of spellcasting, and it was an unmistakable sign that could never be concealed. It was as instinctive as breathing out.
Yes, so far, she looked like a normal mage.
At that moment, the stage quaked slightly. This was no illusion. It was actually happening. The small stone fragments Lorcan had broken were moving.
This surprised me. As far as this kid's mana reserves were concerned, she was on par with an Archmage. That wasn't just in comparison to her peers, but even to me, who possessed a huge amount of internal energy through the First Fire Technique and the Spirit Jade.
No. It might be several times greater. I smiled bitterly at the sheer amount of mana that reminded me of the sea.
The heroes sensed that the situation was unusual and sprang into action.
"Increase the strength of the shield inside the gymnasium!" one shouted.
"Those in the direct line of fire, get out of the way," another hero yelled, then added sharply, "I'm talking to you, this idiot!"
"Are there any more mages we can mobilize? Damn, what is this—"
In the midst of the chaos, Coralis' lips moved, and her voice faintly reached my ears. "Grand Magic: Spear of Yahweh."
The gymnasium turned white. The strange radiance seemed to swallow even sound itself, but this impression was proven wrong in the next instant.
The compressed sound rebounded like a spring and erupted into an explosive roar. The blast felt like it would tear apart my eardrums. Then a white orb shot forward and destroyed everything in its path.
How should I describe it? The tram I had boarded in the capital offered a rough comparison, but this was several times larger and ten times faster as it tore through the gymnasium.
The culprit behind the devastation wore a faint smile. She looked thoroughly satisfied with the spell she had just cast.
Oh gods... I pressed a hand to my forehead. She obviously possessed great talent but clearly lacked real combat experience.
"Above!" Lorcan shouted beside me.
The warning was not meant to help Coralis so much as an instinctive cry.
Coralis quickly looked up. Owl hovered overhead with her arms spread out like wings. It was no metaphor. Her arms had really transformed into wings.
Coralis hurriedly raised a protective barrier, but Owl moved faster. Like an owl hunting for prey, she shattered the half-formed barrier with her claws and drove her knee into Coralis' temple.
The future Archmage collapsed.
Even then, I could tell that Owl was controlling her. If she had struck with all her might, Coralis' head would have exploded.
The match was over, but the gymnasium remained silent.
Owl's once-blank gaze had changed, as if cold water had been poured over her. She could have dodged the attack, but a direct hit would have left her without a single bone intact.
I could still see the scars left by the Spear of Yahweh. One wall of the gymnasium had been blown completely open, and nearly a quarter of the huge facility lay in ruins.
Everyone present realized that Coralis would become a monster one day.
She is already a monster like this.
Perhaps they shared the same thought, yet whispers of astonishment rippled through the crowd around me.
"This level is ridiculous. She is more like a living weapon than a human being."
"Setting aside the fact that she is a mage, her skill alone makes her worth affiliating with our clan."
"If we could use that power once every quarter, or even once a year..."
"Isn't there the possibility that she is a puppet of the imperial family?"
Members of several large clans whispered among themselves.
"Please be quiet," said the man seated at the announcer's stand.
He was the one who always called out names, and I found his voice was familiar. He had supervised both the first and second tests. It was Kyron of the Beowulf clan.
Those seated beside Kyron seemed just as capable as he was. Not all of them were A-class, but the group was large enough to include every kind of standout. Some could advance to A-class immediately yet chose to remain at B-class or lower. I did not need to look far for an example. Verita, sitting next to me, fit that description perfectly.
In any case, the fallen Coralis was removed, and the promotion test continued.
From this display alone, it was evident that the Hero Society was an unusual organization. Damage to the stage was one thing, but they continued even when the facility was almost destroyed.
"Hero Disciple Luan Badniker. Step onto the stage."
It was finally my turn. After watching the previous matches, I had been itching to fight.
I silently thanked Kyron for not calling me by the ugly Golden Fairy nickname and stepped onto the wrecked stage. Then I locked eyes with Heero, who was standing there.
It had been a long time since we last saw each other, but I didn't feel any particularly special emotions. Heero was probably the same. Or maybe not. I had sensed it before, but something about his eyes was different today. I had never seen that look from him before, and it left me slightly unsettled.
Should I use the sword or... Just as I was pondering my first move, Heero drew his greatsword first. It was a massive sword as heavy as the Sky-Destroying Sword's one.
Heero wasn't a slight man, but this sword looked almost too large for him.
He charged without hesitation and swung at me.
The unexpected development drew gasps from those around us, and it caught me off guard as well. After all, the participant had the right to the first move. Heero had broken the promotion test's unwritten rules.
I reflexively drew the Seven Sins Sword and blocked the strike. In that instant, I understood why his nickname was Strong Sword. His weapon was heavy, hard, and strong. Any weapon other than the Seven Sins Sword would have shattered from that strike. Even more alarming, as the exchange continued, I sensed that even the Seven Sins Sword would eventually give away.
At that moment, I saw Heero's eyes over the edge of the blade. My previously relaxed mind snapped tight.
Honestly, I hadn't expected this fight to be difficult. I had assumed he would look down on me or take the fight lightly. Besides, I wasn't aiming to win.
However, there were no signs of carelessness in Heero now. His expression, mood, aura, and awareness all conveyed the same thing. A taut tension filled the air, as though he faced a formidable opponent, and his clenched teeth carried a quiet desperation.
"Luan Badniker." His muffled voice slipped out. "Do your best."
I already am... I could hear the unspoken words as clearly as if he had said them aloud.
I poured strength into the Seven Sins Sword and pushed Heero back. After exchanging glances, I sheathed the Seven Sins Sword. I didn't know his purpose or thoughts, but holding back against a martial artist who fought with full commitment was disrespectful.
I assumed the stance of the White Sun Eclipse and said, "I will let you strike first once more."
A smile spread across Heero's face.